Chapter: 597
I was all excited about the food coming up when I suddenly recalled a line that Rene just said, causing my shoulders to twitch and tremble.
“Wait. What was that line again? I thought I had changed a lot, but there’s still some things that haven’t changed?”
To think you’d sneak in a line straight out of a childhood friend scenario without warning!
“Rene. Don’t tell me you have more talent as a host than as a prince?”
If this world had a gender-reversed worldview, it would definitely be called a rare beauty!
Is this what they call a demon-like charm?!
Ugh. If I had seen this from beyond the monitor, I could’ve enjoyed it with pure hearts, but now that I’m the one hearing that line, both amazement and chills are spreading all over me!
…Forget about the amazing food and just run away. I feel like a scream is about to slip out instinctively.
Hmmm. Nah. Just hold on a bit. In a way, that line is exactly what I wanted.
Think of it as catering to my superior’s whims. Imagining a forty-year-old section chief saying such lines, I could probably endure it.
“Ugh.”
Imagining that makes me feel even more nauseous. I feel sick to my stomach.
“If you’re going to openly gag like that, I might get hurt too.”
“…Don’t mind me. I said that on purpose.”
“You’re still as picky as ever, huh?”
Looking at the lines from when I met Partlan at the festival before and what he’s saying now, it’s clear the past Lucy had a close relationship with Rene.
I don’t understand how Lucy, who made quite the ruckus against Benedict’s grandeur, got close to this dark-skinned man.
Was there a preference setting for Rene?
There haven’t really been details revealed in the game about it. However, he did show some affection towards the protagonist who reprimanded him in the non-lethal route.
Don’t tell me he’s also into masochism? I already have enough trash around me begging to be trampled; adding another one would make no sense!
“Are you still holding on to those memories from back then?”
Back then? What happened? Did I throw a punch after enduring Lucy’s tantrums?
“I don’t plan on apologizing. I don’t think I did anything wrong back then.”
Well, that makes sense. Hitting a little brat who stomps on the opponent with various vocabularies is a justified retaliation.
“And more importantly, it doesn’t make sense for me to apologize now. Our situations have become completely opposite.”
…Huh? Completely opposite? He seems to be saying that seriously, but I lack information to understand it.
“What’s with that expression? Did you forget?”
I didn’t forget. I just don’t know at all.
“Ha!”
Rene jumped up from his chair, biting his lip tightly as he glared at me and let out a small curse.
“I’ll keep track. Enjoy the meal comfortably.”
Swish. After Rene dashed out, I was left alone in the room, pondering the recent scene.
The look in Rene’s eyes suggesting he was genuinely hurt. What on earth happened in the past to make him look that way?
To solve this mystery, I need to see Lucy’s memories, but it’ll take some time for my body to recover fully.
Thinking I don’t want to remain frustrated until then, I got up from my seat and headed towards the corner of the room.
Let’s see. Considering the height difference between Joy and me, it should be around here.
Yikes!
When I pressed a presumed spot for a cheek, a feminine scream erupted as the darkness lifted.
With the loss of the sorcerer’s calmness, the magic vanished.
“Lu. Lucy?”
“Hey. Nitwit. Was pretending to be a detective fun?”
“Uh. How did you…”
“Well, isn’t it because you’re a nitwit?”
Your aesthetic sense keeps pointing out how weird the place you’re in is, plus you’ve shown the wish to not let me discover your weak points. I knew from the start you were following me.
“Joy, didn’t you say that your nitwit would never catch on to this?”
“The First Prince didn’t catch on! This isn’t my fault! It’s Lucy’s fault for being too amazing!”
“Are you really sure he didn’t catch on? Could he have just pretended not to know?”
“If the First Prince knew, he would have hinted it subtly! He’s that kind of person!”
“Hey, you two fools. Sit down. Some sucker is paying for everything, and a bunch of food is about to come.”
*
Sitting next to Lucy, Joy couldn’t help but feel eternally red in the cheeks.
Just secretly following my friend was already shameful enough, but to realize I had been found out from the start!
Ugh. I want to die. What does Lucy think of me anyway?
“Nitwit.”
“Y-Yes!”
Joy’s head shot up at the calling voice, biting her tongue as she writhed in self-loathing.
I just want to disappear right now. Anywhere is fine, I just want to escape from here.
If I can meet Lucy again after calming down a little, I might be able to explain myself a bit more calmly, but right now that’s impossible!
Thwack!
Joy snapped back to reality from the sharp pain on her forehead, staring blankly at Lucy’s smirk, then swallowed hard.
Calm down. I’ve got to calm down. Staying silent would be rude. I’ve already messed up plenty; I can’t make it worse here!
Switching to Duchess mode, I need to apologize and explain why I acted that way!
“I’m sorry, Lucy. I heard you were going to meet the First Prince today, and I got so worried that I followed you.”
My expression. My tone. My gestures. Perfect! This is the ideal Duchess! If I can maintain this guise, I might just get through this worst-case scenario…
“It’s okay. It’s not like a nitwit doing something stupid is a rare occurrence, right? I’m glad you’re an idiot, to be honest, since you look really dumb when I watch you.”
“T-That’s so?”
“But more importantly, nitwit. What do you think this is?”
The various tools laid out before Lucy were just some of the items she had collected while hanging out with the First Prince.
The birthstone symbolizing the month Joy was born. Various artifacts that she really wanted. Plus, a bunch of other items that would surely be useful to her.
“Don’t tell me that’s why you were going around various shops?”
“Because there’s a sucker who can’t refuse me. I made good use of him.”
Calling the First Prince a sucker? That’s something only Lucy could get away with.
While laughing, Joy unknowingly ruffled Lucy’s hair.
“…Ah! I’m sorry! I… uh.”
“Sigh. Touching someone without asking first, huh? I didn’t know you were such a precocious girl?”
“Why is being precocious coming up here?!”
“Whatever. I’m nice, so I’ll let it slide this time. But next time, it’ll cost you a bit more.”
“Y-Yes.”
Is it okay just for now? Hesitant, Joy kept playing with Lucy’s hair, gasping in awe.
Lucy’s hair is so soft. How do you manage to make hair feel softer than silk? I must ask a maid about it later.
“How long do you plan on doing that?”
So lost in massaging the hair enchanted by Lucy, Joy only snapped out of it upon hearing Arthur’s voice.
“Lucy Allen. Thank you for the gift, but before that, I want to ask something. What happened between you and my brother in the past?”
Arthur! You can’t just ask that directly!
Did you see the atmosphere a second ago? It’s a sensitive topic! You should’ve asked indirectly!
This is precisely why men don’t understand women’s hearts!
“I don’t know. How would I know?”
See! She doesn’t want to answer!
“Is it a problem you can’t tell others about?”
“I don’t know what kind of fantasies the incompetent prince has that makes him giggle over there, but I seriously don’t know. How can I remember what happened with that gloomy guy?”
“Are you saying you really don’t know?”
“Yep. So I don’t know what that gloomy prince is going insane about all alone! Does it sting that much to be fooled? Such a narrow-minded human.”
Wait. She really doesn’t know!?
Why?! The intense emotions the First Prince showed just a moment ago was proof that something significant happened between them! So why doesn’t Lucy know!?
“Lucy. You really don’t know anything?”
“What? You don’t believe me? How dare a nitwit question me?”
“Gyak! Oh. Uh!”
Joy winced as Lucy pinched her cheek, all the while recalling the intense emotions the First Prince displayed moments before.
I don’t want to give my precious friend Lucy to anyone else!
But still! With things like this, the First Prince is getting too pitiful!
“Wait. Wait a sec!”
“Don’t you have something to say first?”
“Sorry, Lucy.”
“Pfft. Fine. I’ll accept your apology, Duchess with zero pride.”
Joy rubbed her painfully red cheeks and took a deep breath to look at Lucy again.
“Anyway, something definitely happened between you and the First Prince in the past! You just forgot about it!”
“And so, I should be the one who’s at fault?”
“Because it’s scary, don’t reach out! Anyway! If you forgot, you can remember! I’ll tell you about all the times the First Prince met Lucy! So try to recall!”
I know it benefits me for Lucy to not remember the First Prince!
But this ending is no good for either the First Prince or Lucy! A story that ends in tragedy is the worst!
“Hahaha!”
As Joy passionately ranted while her veins popped in her neck, she blinked in surprise at Lucy suddenly bursting into laughter.
W-What is it? Why are you laughing?
“Oh, it’s so nice having a nitwit like you around.”
“What does that even mean?”
“You want to know? You might just end up with a hurt heart.”
“…Y-Yeah.”
“But what to do? I don’t want to answer you.”
Seeing Joy’s blank face, Lucy laughed again for a long while, leaning her chin on her palm with an alluring smile.
“Go ahead and chatter away. I won’t be bored while eating.”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.